Video camera systems can record audio and video in a surrounding area, which users can analyze to monitor and analyze events captured by the recorded audio and video, such as crimes and security events. Captured events in the recorded audio and video can be analyzed in real-time in order to monitor the surrounding area, or at a later time to review the events that transpired in the surrounding area over a period of time. Networking capabilities also allow users to control video camera systems over the network, receive the recorded audio and video over the network, and remotely monitor the surrounding area or review captured events. Video camera systems can also include audio and video processing capabilities to perform monitoring and detection operations, such as human detection, facial recognition, motion detection, etc. Such processing capabilities allow video camera systems to better monitor and detect specific conditions of interest, human activity and identification. The various recording and processing capabilities of video camera systems make such systems effective tools for deterring crime, protecting humans and property, and investigating events.
Wireless cameras are proving very popular among modern security consumers due to their low installation costs and flexible mounting options. For example, there is no need to run expensive video extension cables, and wireless cameras can be mounted and/or installed in locations previously unavailable to standard wired cameras. In addition to the ease of use and convenience of access, wireless security cameras allow users to leverage broadband wireless internet to provide seamless video streaming over the internet.
However, battery powered camera systems have limited uses because their energy budgets prevent them from recording continuously over a long period of time. Their capabilities are limited to live viewing, short motion based recording, or scheduled captures. Device size/form factor and battery costs prevent manufacturers from being able to scale up their energy budgets. A user wanting to view a live feed from a camera, for example, has no indication of whether or not the footage will be valuable before actually starting the feed. This means that a user could be powering up a camera and wasting valuable battery life to view live footage that has no value.
While motion based triggers can greatly reduce the drain from a camera's battery over continuous recording, the reduction works only if motion is infrequent. Current consumer products repeatedly wake up from a sleep state, or a low power consumption state on motion based triggers to record for a set amount video (e.g., for 30 seconds), with no regard to what they are filming. This often results in cameras that film a series of non-important video clips, reducing the battery life to a couple of days, rather than months or years they would have if they had been more intelligent in their recording.
Moreover, even energy harvesting/solar cameras that are currently found in the market suffer problems. They require large, non-integrated panels to get the energy required to operate in a similar manner to a standard battery powered camera. Their lack of integration of the solar cells makes them significantly more difficult to deploy than a standard camera.
Accordingly, there is a need to provide a long-lived camera system appropriate for the energy budgets of most commercial camera systems beyond simple motion based triggers.